Slatina Jewish Cemetery

Slatina is a town in the Slavonia region located in Virovitica-Podravina County, in the central part of the region of Podravina. The first recorded mention of Slatina was in 1297, and in the 15th century a fortress was built in the town. In 1544 Slatina was captured by Turks, and a small part of the population converted to Islam and remained in the town. The rest of the population fled to the Drava area. The town was liberated from Turkish rule in 1684 after the old castle was destroyed. The economy in Slatina was largely agricultural (especially animal husbandry and viticulture). In 1910 there were 3,785 citizens in the town 40% of whom were Croats, 23% Hungarians, 23% Serbs, and 10% German speakers. Jews settled in Slatina in the late 18th century from Moravia and Austria. The synagogue was built in 1896 and the cemetery in 1858. In 1900, the Jewish community had a population of about 100 people which grew to 243 people by 1931. Before the Holocaust, 134 Jews lived in the town. During World War II, all the Jews in the city were exterminated. In 1942, the Nazis and the Croatian Nationalists destroyed the synagogue. The cemetery was liquidated in 1970, and some of the bodies were exhumed and moved to the Jewish cemetery in Osijek.